Tuesday’s high-scoring match at the SDAT Multi-Purpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai saw Puneri Paltan complete the double over the Bengal Warriorz, winning 49-44. While Devank Dalal scored 25 points that evening and became the first player to reach 150 raid points in PKL 12, Aditya Shinde (18 points) and Pankaj Mohite (10 points) recorded Super 10s to lead their team to victory.
Aslam Inamdar wasted little time in getting Puneri Paltan the first points on the board with his initial raid, so the game got off to a fast start. The tone for the Season 10 winners was set in the first few seconds when Vishal Bhardwaj tackled Devank Dalal. Ashish Malik’s tackle on Aditya Shinde gave the Bengal Warriorz the lead, and they soon found their rhythm.
Pankaj Mohite immediately answered with a two-point raid of his own, but Himanshu Narwal added to that total with a two-point raid. Himanshu and Ashish Malik made sure their team stayed in the game despite a two-point deficit, with the score at 9-7 after the first ten minutes, just when it looked like the Paltan would force their will on the match.
Soon after, Puneri Paltan really started to settle into their rhythm. They quickly recorded the game’s first ALL OUT thanks to a tackle on Devank by Abinesh Nadarajan, which caused a five-point deficit. The Warriorz responded with their captain leading the way together with Himanshu Narwal to end an exciting first half that ended 21-18 in favor of the Ajay Thakur-led team, despite multi-point raids from Aditya Shinde and Pankaj Mohite keeping Puneri Paltan in the lead.
Puneri Paltan registered a Super Tackle on Devank to start the second half in high-octane form. With a two-point raid, Manprit helped the Warriorz, and Devank also gained some traction. Aslam Inamdar’s Super Tacke took Devank out in a battle within a battle, but the Bengal Warriorz captain got his retribution by giving his team an ALL OUT to tie the score at 30-27.
Puneri Paltan swiftly regained their six-point raid thanks to a Super Raid from Pankaj Mohite, but the Warriroz weren’t giving up just yet. With his Super 10 finish, Devank Dalal reduced the margin to four points going into the last quarter. Aditya Shinde stood tall for Puneri Paltan when the game was coming down to the final seconds. With less than five minutes remaining, his team took the lead at 46-35 thanks to a pivotal Super Raid that enabled him reach his Super 10 and put them in the lead position as they achieved their second ALL OUT, thanks to Abinesh Nadarajan.
To add the final touches to the game, Pankaj Mohite also finished his Super 10. Devank kept fighting, reaching the 20-point milestone for the third time this season with a two-point raid. In a high-scoring thriller, Puneri Paltan won 49-44, despite his best efforts, and the Bengal Warriorz lost.
